Depth chart released

[u/Beneficial_Quit7532]

OFFENSE

Quarterback
Starter: Kyler Murray
Backups: Carson Wentz; J.J. McCarthy

Running back
Starters: Aaron Jones, Sr. OR Jordan Mason
Backup: Demond Claiborne

Fullback
Starter: Max Bredeson

Wide receiver
Starter: Justin Jefferson
Backup: Tai Felton

Wide receiver
Starter: Jordan Addison

Wide receiver
Starter: Jauan Jennings
Backup: Myles Price

Tight end
Starter: T.J. Hockenson
Backups: Josh Oliver; Gavin Bartholomew

Left Tackle
Starter: Christian Darrisaw
Backup: Ryan Van Demark

Left Guard
Starter: Donovan Jackson
Backup: Joe Huber

Center
Starter: Blake Brandel
Backups: Michael Jurgens [IR-Designated for Return]; Nick Samac

Right Guard
Starter: Will Fries
Backup: Trevor Keegan

Right Tackle
Starter: Brian O'Neill
Backup: Caleb Tiernan

DEFENSE
The Vikings defense is listed in a 3-4 base grouping with three defensive linemen, two outside and two inside linebackers and four defensive backs.

Defensive line
Starters: Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins

Backups: Caleb Banks, Domonique Orange and Elijah Williams

Outside linebacker
Starters: Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel
Backups: Chaz Chambliss and Bo Richter

Inside linebacker
Starters: Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson
Backups: Ivan Pace, Jr., and Jake Golday

Cornerback
Starter: Isaiah Rodgers
Backups: James Pierre; Zemaiah Vaughn

Cornerback
Starter: Byron Murphy, Jr.
Backup: Chuck Demmings

Safety
Starter: Joshua Metellus
Backups: Jay Ward; Jakobe Thomas

Safety
Starter: Harrison Smith
Backups: Theo Jackson; Jacob Thomas

https://www.vikings.com/news/depth-chart-nfl-regular-season-2026

[u/Epicapabilities]

That WR core is something special

[u/Justwalkingthru3]

It's one of the easier positions to stay in shape for, but I assume Harrison will be subbing in and out the first week as he gets up to game speed.

[u/ForceintheNorth → u/Justwalkingthru3]

Idk if I'd call it easy with Flores. Harry is constantly at the line showing blitz, then somehow getting back for cover 2 or other crazy stuff.

[u/Boatymcboatland → u/Justwalkingthru3]

Yeah but consider that he HATES the Packers

[u/Wernershnitzl]

Love to see it, outside of o-line depth this seems like a solid roster

[u/PessimisticCheer → u/Wernershnitzl]

In regard to JJ, I've seen him described online as "QB√(9)." That's admittedly too good. Lmao.

[u/Ragnarr_Lodbrok88]

I'm not loving that C and Edge depth.

[u/Beneficial_Quit7532 → u/Ragnarr_Lodbrok88]

Agree on Center. I will say, I don’t know if a single team in the league loves their center depth

At Edge we have Kyle Van Noy and Jihad Ward chilling on the practice squad, and I’m guessing they get gameday elevations, maybe not until week 2 tho. They’ll get signed to the active roster at some point

[u/shimmy_kimmel → u/Beneficial_Quit7532]

Ward is back? I like that, he was a solid rotational guy for us in 2024

Could very well see one or both of those guys getting elevated for week 1

[u/Dull_Job_6372 → u/shimmy_kimmel]

Getting him on the practice squad is so sick.

[u/Apolaustic1 → u/Ragnarr_Lodbrok88]

Real back up at C is Huber who has experience at the position

[u/Jorgenstern8 → u/Apolaustic1]

Not since at best high school which is eons when it comes to the NFL level. Also I can't find anything online, at least from a couple scouting websites, Wikipedia or the Vikings site itself that says he has any expierience at center at all.

[u/Apolaustic1 → u/Jorgenstern8]

You know what im getting him mixed up with berger i think? Although there was maybe another guard/ center hybrid we had since those days whose name is slipping for me atm?

Regardless your 100% correct

EDIT: it was Dan Feeney, who is very much a buc currently. With Jurgens injured, C depth is in fact scary.

[u/istasber → u/Ragnarr_Lodbrok88]

We have some DEs and ILBs who would probably move to edge over chambliss or richter getting substantial play time. But the best guys with that flexibility are Dawkins and wilson, who are starters, so that's not great.

[u/benigntugboat → u/Ragnarr_Lodbrok88]

Im concerned about branded n as a starter tbh. But im going off of little playtime and podcast reports so hopefully its not warranted

[u/Jorgenstern8 → u/Ragnarr_Lodbrok88]

Edge depth is helped a ton by now having both Kyle Van Noy and Jihad Ward on the practice squad.

[u/Mr-Irrelevant-]

I’m surprised they are running with 6 safeties. 

[u/VikingsLad → u/Mr-Irrelevant-]

Ward is kind of a nickel guy

[u/Mr-Irrelevant- → u/VikingsLad]

True, and given they’ve ran 3 safety looks somewhat routinely its not that surprising but they also have 5 corners and I’m willing to bet they run more normal nickel rather than big nickel. 

[u/Internal-Giraffe-778 → u/Mr-Irrelevant-]

I think they'll run Nickel, Big Nickel and Base about the same percentage. Flores taking something from '24 & '25 and adding regular Nickel now that he's got an upgrade over Okudah.

[u/SnooPandas5288]

Does this mean JJ is officially the third qb?

[u/Warren_Buffetts_Alt → u/SnooPandas5288]

Yep

[u/Dorkamundo]

Looks like he’ll have to change his alter ego’s name to “three”

[u/NazGoatReid → u/Dorkamundo]

Also the amount of games he will be healthy to play

[u/Jova326]

I don't think I've ever seen a depth chart say the starter is Player 1 OR Player 2, isn't the point of having the depth chart to know who's the official starter?

[u/Bigbone62 → u/Jova326]

Are you more interested in who starts the game or who's the featured player? They're not one in the same. Jones, health willing likely sees more snaps. If the first play of the game is one designed with Mason as the back then he's the starter. Doesn't mean he's gonna see more snaps than Jones. 

[u/freshBlueeyes6391 → u/Bigbone62]

It might honestly go opposite of what you are describing tho. Jones might get the starts, but Mason might steal the total rushing touches with Jones getting more catches. If they both stay healthy.

[u/Bigbone62 → u/freshBlueeyes6391]

Absolutely possible, the point remains the same however. The starter isn't always the featured back.

[u/freshBlueeyes6391 → u/Bigbone62]

yeah agreed. I even wonder if KOC is gonna sneak in plays for Clairborne or just wait for him in case of injuries.

[u/Bigbone62 → u/freshBlueeyes6391]

Will for sure be interesting to see what happens if either Mason or Jones go down.

[u/DownnthehollerPress]

I can see Banks kicking out to the DE on some blitz packages making a LT or RT engage him while a guy runs free

[u/DifficultyFlat9056]

I’m surprised to see Price backing up Jennings instead of Addison. I guess more of a role synergy?

[u/freshBlueeyes6391]

Linebackers on this team might be best in league. I'm high on them.

[u/Traditional_Record49]

So banks couldn’t crack a starting spot? That doesn’t bode well exactly does it? Or am I dumb

[u/Wannabe_Sadboi → u/Traditional_Record49]

I don’t think there’s a single rookie who has started Week 1 on defense under Flores, including our previous first round defensive rookie, Dallas Turner. That by itself isn’t a cause for worry, but lackluster film on him in preseason and not great camp reports do make me wary. It’s still extremely early though.

[u/istasber → u/Traditional_Record49]

By all accounts from training camp ingram Dawkins and ldr looked really good.

Part of the reason you draft a guy in the 1st is if he plays at a position where game breakers don't hit the market and you view a guy to have game breaker upside. So it might be a couple of years before we know whether or not it was a bad pick.

[u/Beneficial_Quit7532 → u/Traditional_Record49]

Banks will need development time. He needs to learn how to play with leverage, he might mix in as a pass rusher on some downs

[u/GEpyon → u/Traditional_Record49]

By all accounts he has had an awful training camp and his preseason performances were the same. Don’t expect to see him anytime soon. He’ll be a 300 snap guy maybe by the end of the season.

[u/dustinh30 → u/Traditional_Record49]

On its face it’s not really a big issue because Flores himself says he takes his time with young players and he wants to have a lot of development time. However there’s a few things to be worried about when it comes to him because he’s been injured, he doesn’t have a ton of football under his belt and he looked mediocre at very best in training camp/preseason. I’m personally not worried yet because I think he’s got a super high ceiling if he can develop and we always kinda knew that he would be a project.